Strangers raise $43K to help migrant mothers reunite with separated children

Strangers raise $43K to help migrant mothers

Author:
Pamela Ren Larson, Arizona Republic

Published:
12:37 PM EDT July 10, 2018

Updated:
12:53 PM EDT July 10, 2018

Migrant mothers separated from children released from detention center

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries and hugs Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018. In the background, Jessica Berg puts her arm around Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux who was also released by bond.

Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux hugs lawyer Juliana Manzanarez after being released on bond at the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries and hugs Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center in Eloy, Ariz. on July 6, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries as she holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018.

Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux cries as Jessica Berg hugs her outside CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center where she was released on July 6, 2018.

Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux cries as Jessica Berg hugs her outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center where she was released in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries with Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018. In the background, Jessica Berg puts her arm around Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux who was also released by bond.

Juliana Manzanarez (left) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

Juliana Manzanarez (left to right) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018. Itzep-Lopez and Soch-tohom de Bulux were released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

Juliana Manzanarez (left to right) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018. Itzep-Lopez and Soch-tohom de Bulux were released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

Kendra Harrison (left to right) talks with Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux and Amalia Itzep-Lopez inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez packs her bag as she prepares to depart from a Phoenix hotel and travel by car to see her two sons in Florida on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux pack their bag as they depart from a Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux prepare to depart from a Phoenix hotel and travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux leave a Phoenix hotel to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux wait to leave their hotel in Phoenix and travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux (center) leave their hotel in Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux (center) leave their hotel in Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) starts to cry as she thanks Jessica Berg who helped her leave the Eloy Detention Facility. The pair are making their drive back to see their children after being released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux hugs Jessica Berg as she and Amalia Itzep-Lopez leave their hotel to return to their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) thanks Jessica Berg who helped her leave the Eloy Detention Facility. The pair are driving back to see their children after being released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) drinks coffee at the beginning of their trip to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries and hugs Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018. In the background, Jessica Berg puts her arm around Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux who was also released by bond.

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Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux hugs lawyer Juliana Manzanarez after being released on bond at the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries and hugs Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center in Eloy, Ariz. on July 6, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries as she holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018.

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Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux cries as Jessica Berg hugs her outside CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center where she was released on July 6, 2018.

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Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux cries as Jessica Berg hugs her outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center where she was released in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries with Kendra Harrison as Itzep-Lopez holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018. In the background, Jessica Berg puts her arm around Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux who was also released by bond.

Juliana Manzanarez (left) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

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Juliana Manzanarez (left to right) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018. Itzep-Lopez and Soch-tohom de Bulux were released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

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Juliana Manzanarez (left to right) sits with Amalia Itzep-Lopez and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018. Itzep-Lopez and Soch-tohom de Bulux were released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

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Kendra Harrison (left to right) talks with Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux and Amalia Itzep-Lopez inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez packs her bag as she prepares to depart from a Phoenix hotel and travel by car to see her two sons in Florida on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux pack their bag as they depart from a Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux prepare to depart from a Phoenix hotel and travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux leave a Phoenix hotel to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux wait to leave their hotel in Phoenix and travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux (center) leave their hotel in Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) and Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux (center) leave their hotel in Phoenix to travel by car to see their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) starts to cry as she thanks Jessica Berg who helped her leave the Eloy Detention Facility. The pair are making their drive back to see their children after being released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

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Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux hugs Jessica Berg as she and Amalia Itzep-Lopez leave their hotel to return to their children on July 7, 2018.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) thanks Jessica Berg who helped her leave the Eloy Detention Facility. The pair are driving back to see their children after being released on bond pending humanitarian relief.

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Amalia Itzep-Lopez (left) drinks coffee at the beginning of their trip to see their children on July 7, 2018.

Amalia Itzep-Lopez cries as she holds pictures of her children outside the CoreCivic Eloy Detention Center on July 6, 2018.

Another woman, Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia, was freed from Eloy and took a high-profile road trip to New York to meet with her children at a shelter there, though the children had not yet been released to her.

On Friday, Itzep-Lopez and Soch-tohom de Bulux hoped to follow her lead. They had miles to go, and days to travel, before they were to reach the East Coast. Soch-tohom de Bulux will reunite with her daughter when she arrives, butthe U.S. government is holdingItzep-Lopez'schildren.

But the first big step is complete.

Now they must navigate a federal system without a clear path.

They remember leaving their home in Guatemala with their children by their side, knowing that they would do whatever it took to reach a safe place.

They haven't seen their children in about a month, the mothers recounted in interviews the day they left the detention center.

Itzep-Lopez was told her two sons are in Florida. Soch-tohom de Bulux was told her daughter is in New York.

Department of Justice lawyer Sarah Fabian said federal authorities have reunited two families and expect to reunite another 59 by Tuesday's deadline. But in other cases, parents have been deported or are in prison facing criminal charges.

Health and Human Services SecretaryAlan Azar had said last week that the government was on-track to meet a federal judge's deadlines to reunite children four and under by July 10, and all remaining families by the end of the month. The administration plans to reunite families in Department of Homeland Security facilities.

Azar said the administration has been moving detained parents to facilities closer to their children, adding that it will speed reunification.

According to HHS's data released on June 25, children separated from their parents were in facilities scattered across sixteen states.

Itzep-Lopez's and Soch-tohom de Bulux's children were moved thousands of miles away from where their mothers were held in Arizona.

Hundreds of strangers guide the way

Itzep-Lopez arrived to the 1,596-bed Eloy Detention center on June 6, after spending 11 days eating soup and sleeping on a cold floor with only a Mylar blanket.

The following week, she had a credible-fear interview, the first of many steps to pursue asylum and relief from deportation.

By June 13, her domestic abuse case was deemed credible, and she was issued a bond, which would allow her to leave detention. Between tears Itzep-Lopez recounted when she found out her bond was $15,000.

“I became afraid,” Itzep-Lopez said in Spanish. “I saw it and I wanted to say, 'My dear God, with this, how I am going to leave? Holy Father, I want to see my children. I don’t have resources to pay this.'”

Woman released from detention center to reunite with her children

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Garcia said: “On May 19, I enter the Yuma detention center where they (CBP) treated me very bad there. On the 21st they took my children away from me. I was 19 days without communication with anyone. They treated me in the worst way. I asked for information from my children… They told me that I was going to be deported to Guatemala and my children were going to stay in the hands of U.S. government.”

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

Yeni Marcela Gonzalez Garcia learns that she might not speak to her children, and they have been living in another person's home.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Garcia said: “On May 19, I enter the Yuma detention center where they (CBP) treated me very bad there. On the 21st they took my children away from me. I was 19 days without communication with anyone. They treated me in the worst way. I asked for information from my children… They told me that I was going to be deported to Guatemala and my children were going to stay in the hands of U.S. government.”

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia from Guatemala was released from the Eloy Detention Center on June 28, 2018, and gets ready to go to New York to reunite with her three children who are in a shelter. She and her children were separated after the Border Patrol apprehended them.

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Yeni Marcela Gonzalez Garcia learns that she might not speak to her children, and they have been living in another person's home.

Another Guatemalan woman at Eloy, Yeni Gonzalez Garcia, had been speaking with Jose Xavier Orochena, a lawyer in New York, where her own three children were sent to foster care. Gonzalez Garcia began to pass along the names and registration numbers of other mothers she knew in detention to the lawyer.

"3 down 12 to go," Orochena wrote in a text message Friday afternoon.

Gonzalez Garcia’s bond was set at $7,500. Her family members in the U.S. were unable to pay for both the attorney and the bond.

Orochena, was interviewed about his family separation case on a local NPR station, which caught the ears of a New York resident wanting to help.

Julie Schwietert Collazo was listening. The New York resident began organizing donations and volunteers to get Gonzalez Garcia to New York,

“How would someone who came here with nothing come up with the money to pay the bond, to make it to New York, and then be able to stay here?” Schwietert Collazo said.

After talking with Orochena, Schwietert Collazo began a GoFundMe page for Gonzalez Garcia. Another volunteer coordinated a cross-country caravan of drivers to help the mom make it to New York.

They launched two more campaigns to raise enough money to cover the costs of Itzep-Lopez’s and Soch-tohom de Bulux’s bonds, in addition to longer-term expenses.

As of Friday, with more than $30,000 raised, the mothers were freed.

'I stopped crying that day'

Kendra Harrison (left to right) talks with Juana Soch-tohom de Bulux and Amalia Itzep-Lopez inside an Olive Garden for their dinner in Eloy on July 6, 2018.

Patrick Breen/The Republic

At a chain Italian restaurant near Eloy, the mothers stopped for a meal. They ordered lasagna and chicken Parmesan, and shared half of their plates with the other.

“Never in my life did I eat lasagna, but I know about it from watching Garfield as a kid,” Soch-tohom de Bulux said in Spanishbefore they drove to a hotel in Phoenix Friday night.

The mothers remember watching a Telemundo broadcast, sitting inside the Eloy Detention Center, of the thousands of Americans at Families Belong Together marches.

Soch-tohom de Bulux said it was the first time she knew the hundreds of detained parents were not alone.

Families Belong Together: Arizona protest of Trump separation policy

Hsain Ilahiane, an immigrant from Morocco, and protesters chant along during a #KeepFamiliesTogether rally in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.
"I fear for the people who are caught in the nightmare," he said.

Jesus Lucero, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, holds a sign in front of hundreds of protesters in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018. "When my dad got detained, a very similar thing happened," he said, noting the migrant children being separated from their parents. "My siblings were separated from my dad. They cried often, had post traumatic stress. This is something I have personal ties to, this is something I have experienced within my own house."

Hsain Ilahiane, an immigrant from Morocco, and protesters chant along during a #KeepFamiliesTogether rally in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

Summer Aguilera holds her children, 4 and 7, before they lead a chant at the Tucson, Arizona #KeepFamiliesTogether protest on June 30, 2018.

Mark Wagner, 10, and Callum Reagan, 11, hold a sign they made themselves at the #KeepFamiliesTogether protest in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

Signs line the stage of Armory Park in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018, during one of the many #KeepFamiliesTogether protests occurring across the country.

Signs line the stage of Armory Park in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018, during one of the many #KeepFamiliesTogether protests occurring across the country.

Jessica Rodriguez calls on throngs of protesters to join her in a chant in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

Protesters march to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters gather at the pedestrian gate of the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters march to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

Rev. Matthew Clary chants with protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Alyssa Navarrette walks with her husband, Ricardo Nord, and their children Izel, 4 (center), Benny, 2,(far right) and Isa (in stroller) near the border at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Several hundred people gather to protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Hundreds of people listen to Rep. Raúl Grijalva speak at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

Alyssa Navarrette walks with her husband, Ricardo Nord, and their children Izel, 4 (center), Benny, 2,(far right) and Isa (in stroller) near the border at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Rev. Matthew Clary chants with protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters walk along the border wall during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Border Patrol agents watch the protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Rev. Matthew Clary (left) and protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters gather at the pedestrian gate of the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Border Patrol agents watch the protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Alyssa Navarrette holds up her sign during at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Isabel Garcia, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, speaks to the crowd gathered at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Isabel Garcia, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, speaks to the crowd gathered at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Rev. Alison Harrington speaks during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva speaks during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Monica Dabdoub speaks on behalf of the children with her mother, Maria Dabdoub, during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Protesters form a line and shut down traffic from entering the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Water jugs under art at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Alyssa Navarrette holds a sign protesting the detention of children during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

Hundreds gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells "Trump is your president" through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Hundreds of protestors gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jerome Mann (left) and Jon Linton, both of Phoenix, watch the crowds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Hundreds of protestors gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rally organizer Lupe Conchas, of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Marla Pooch, a poodle mix, poses for a portrait on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "There are our neighbors," Marla's owner, Mel Luchs, of Roswell, New Mexico, said. "We're not supposed to put them in cages."

Ofelia Canez (left), of Mesa, Arizona, listens to speakers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm here because I'm fighting for basic human rights," Canez said. "It's the time to give voices to those who don't have them."

Ivan Marth (center), of Rockford, Iowa, looks on as hundreds gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm so privileged to have been born in this country and to have a family that can't be taken away" Marth said. "I can't imagine small children being ripped away from their families and placed in cages."

Christy Bishop, of Goodyear, Arizona, argues at counter protestors on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

John Cristoph, of Tempe, Arizona, chants through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm opposed of the Trump administration's policy in keeping children away from their parents," Cristoph said. "We need to have fair immigration reform."

Rosalie Maxwell, of Sun Lakes, Arizona, chants along hundreds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm here because I believe in humanity," Maxwell said. "I'm a mother and a grandmother and I just can't believe what's going on."

Marla Wentz, of Surprise, Arizona, watches speakers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Andy the Pug looks to the crowd on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells "Trump is your president" through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Members of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells pro-Trump messages through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Members of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells pro-Trump messages through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with rally-goers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Leonard Clark (right), of Phoenix, argues with members of the Patriot Movement Arizona on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "This isn't a black and white issue," Clark said. "We need to work out a solution bu silence is complicity."

on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jerome Mann (left) and Jon Linton, both of Phoenix, watch the crowds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Joy Matsushita-Saul, of Phoenix, Arizona, smiles to rally-goers while on a youth outreach bus she volunteers with on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with a rally-goer on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with rally-goers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rally organizer Lupe Conchas, of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rally organizer Lupe Conchas (right), of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

At the Families Belong Together march in Tucson, AZ, Jesus Lucero, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, recalled his own family separation. “When my dad got detained, a very similar thing happened,” he said. “My siblings were separated from my dad. They cried often, had post traumatic stress. This is something I have personal ties to, this is something I have experienced within my own house.”

At the stage during the Families Belong Together march in Tucson, AZ, Jessica Rodriguez says, "We have the responsibility to be human, human to each other." June 30, 2018

Ricardo Nord and Alyssa Navarrette brought their three kids to the Nogales rally from nearby Patagonia. “Where is our humanity?” she asks about family separations. “They don’t need to be in jail,” he says about indefinite detention. June 30, 2018

Protesters congregate before the Families Belong Together march against migrant family separations in Nogales, AZ. June 30, 2018

Demonstrators start to gather for the nationwide Families Belong Together march in Nogales, a border town in Arizona.

Rigo Gonzalez address protesters at a rally at the Arizona Capitol

Demonstrators at the Phoenix Families Belong Together march in Arizona protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Caroline Laughlin-Graham 54, resident of Anthem, AZ holding a sign at the Phoenix Families Belong Together march. "I’ve been to other protest events, I’m here to give families a voice."

Signs from the Families Belong Together marches in Arizona

Signs from the Families Belong Together marches in Arizona

“I am very upset,” Phoenix resident Zaria Baray Carter said at the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018. “I would never imagine being 5 years old and being separated from my parents and in cages. I’m here because leaders aren’t doing anything about it. Being out here, I’m using my voice.”

Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

Rigo Gonzalez, one of the organizers of the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018: “They think we don’t belong here. It’s time we tell them yes, we do belong here."

“Jesus wrapped in Mylar?” A protester’s sign questions at Phoenix Families Together march. Immigrants report sweaters are taken from them and they are given silver Mylar blankets at processing centers, June 30, 2018

June 30, 2018- The Lynn Family came out together today, donning hand-made signs. 7-year-old Sophie drew a pregnant woman and her family separated on the sign. She told me “I really hate that. I would be really sad if I was separated from my mom. Kids should be free!"

June 30, 2018- The Lynn Family came out together today, donning hand-made signs. 7-year-old Sophie drew a pregnant woman and her family separated on the sign. She told me “I really hate that. I would be really sad if I was separated from my mom. Kids should be free!

Protesters for the Families Stand Together rally begin to gather at Armory Park in Tucson awaiting the protest that begins at 9 a.m. on June 30, 2018.

Protesters for the Families Stand Together rally begin to gather at Armory Park in Tucson awaiting the protest that begins at 9 a.m. on June 30, 2018.

A few protest signs held by demonstrators at the Families Belong Together rally on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

A protest sign held by a demonstrator at the Families Belong Together March in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

“We’re here for the children, for the immigrants. We’re here with love,” organizers say at 8:10 a.m., in English and Spanish. They plan to have DREAMers, congressman and citizens speaking at the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

Hundreds gathered outside the Arizona Senate on June 30, 2018, to protest Donald Trump's immigration policies that have separated families at the border.

Demonstrators gather at the Arizona state Capitol on June 30, 2018, to protest Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy.

Democratic Socialists of America convene at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza adjacent the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

Cat Castaneda holds a sign protesting Donald Trump's policy of family separations at a protest in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

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Hsain Ilahiane, an immigrant from Morocco, and protesters chant along during a #KeepFamiliesTogether rally in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.
"I fear for the people who are caught in the nightmare," he said.

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Jesus Lucero, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, holds a sign in front of hundreds of protesters in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018. "When my dad got detained, a very similar thing happened," he said, noting the migrant children being separated from their parents. "My siblings were separated from my dad. They cried often, had post traumatic stress. This is something I have personal ties to, this is something I have experienced within my own house."

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Hsain Ilahiane, an immigrant from Morocco, and protesters chant along during a #KeepFamiliesTogether rally in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

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Summer Aguilera holds her children, 4 and 7, before they lead a chant at the Tucson, Arizona #KeepFamiliesTogether protest on June 30, 2018.

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Mark Wagner, 10, and Callum Reagan, 11, hold a sign they made themselves at the #KeepFamiliesTogether protest in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

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Signs line the stage of Armory Park in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018, during one of the many #KeepFamiliesTogether protests occurring across the country.

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Signs line the stage of Armory Park in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018, during one of the many #KeepFamiliesTogether protests occurring across the country.

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Jessica Rodriguez calls on throngs of protesters to join her in a chant in Tucson, Arizona on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters march to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters gather at the pedestrian gate of the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters march to the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

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Rev. Matthew Clary chants with protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Alyssa Navarrette walks with her husband, Ricardo Nord, and their children Izel, 4 (center), Benny, 2,(far right) and Isa (in stroller) near the border at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Several hundred people gather to protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Hundreds of people listen to Rep. Raúl Grijalva speak at the Families Belong Together march in Nogaleson June 30, 2018.

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Alyssa Navarrette walks with her husband, Ricardo Nord, and their children Izel, 4 (center), Benny, 2,(far right) and Isa (in stroller) near the border at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Rev. Matthew Clary chants with protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters walk along the border wall during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters make their way along the street at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters block the street to the DeConcini port to Mexico at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Border Patrol agents watch the protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Rev. Matthew Clary (left) and protesters chant while at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters gather at the pedestrian gate of the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Border Patrol agents watch the protesters at the DeConcini port of entry during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Alyssa Navarrette holds up her sign during at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Isabel Garcia, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, speaks to the crowd gathered at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Isabel Garcia, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, speaks to the crowd gathered at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Several hundred people protest the detention of migrant children at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Rev. Alison Harrington speaks during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Rep. Raúl Grijalva speaks during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Monica Dabdoub speaks on behalf of the children with her mother, Maria Dabdoub, during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters form a line and shut down traffic from entering the DeConcini port of entry at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Water jugs under art at the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Alyssa Navarrette holds a sign protesting the detention of children during the Families Belong Together march in Nogales on June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Families Belong Together march protesters in Tucson, AZ. June 30, 2018.

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Hundreds gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells "Trump is your president" through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Hundreds of protestors gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Jerome Mann (left) and Jon Linton, both of Phoenix, watch the crowds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Hundreds of protestors gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Rally organizer Lupe Conchas, of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Marla Pooch, a poodle mix, poses for a portrait on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "There are our neighbors," Marla's owner, Mel Luchs, of Roswell, New Mexico, said. "We're not supposed to put them in cages."

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Ofelia Canez (left), of Mesa, Arizona, listens to speakers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm here because I'm fighting for basic human rights," Canez said. "It's the time to give voices to those who don't have them."

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Ivan Marth (center), of Rockford, Iowa, looks on as hundreds gather on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm so privileged to have been born in this country and to have a family that can't be taken away" Marth said. "I can't imagine small children being ripped away from their families and placed in cages."

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Christy Bishop, of Goodyear, Arizona, argues at counter protestors on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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John Cristoph, of Tempe, Arizona, chants through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm opposed of the Trump administration's policy in keeping children away from their parents," Cristoph said. "We need to have fair immigration reform."

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Rosalie Maxwell, of Sun Lakes, Arizona, chants along hundreds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "I'm here because I believe in humanity," Maxwell said. "I'm a mother and a grandmother and I just can't believe what's going on."

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Marla Wentz, of Surprise, Arizona, watches speakers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Andy the Pug looks to the crowd on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells "Trump is your president" through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Members of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells pro-Trump messages through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Members of the Patriot Movement Arizona yells pro-Trump messages through a megaphone on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with rally-goers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Leonard Clark (right), of Phoenix, argues with members of the Patriot Movement Arizona on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. "This isn't a black and white issue," Clark said. "We need to work out a solution bu silence is complicity."

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on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Jerome Mann (left) and Jon Linton, both of Phoenix, watch the crowds on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Joy Matsushita-Saul, of Phoenix, Arizona, smiles to rally-goers while on a youth outreach bus she volunteers with on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with a rally-goer on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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A member of the Patriot Movement Arizona argues with rally-goers on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Rally organizer Lupe Conchas, of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Rally organizer Lupe Conchas (right), of Phoenix, Arizona, leads hundreds in chants on June 30, 2018, during the Families Belong Together rally outside of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

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At the Families Belong Together march in Tucson, AZ, Jesus Lucero, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, recalled his own family separation. “When my dad got detained, a very similar thing happened,” he said. “My siblings were separated from my dad. They cried often, had post traumatic stress. This is something I have personal ties to, this is something I have experienced within my own house.”

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At the stage during the Families Belong Together march in Tucson, AZ, Jessica Rodriguez says, "We have the responsibility to be human, human to each other." June 30, 2018

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Ricardo Nord and Alyssa Navarrette brought their three kids to the Nogales rally from nearby Patagonia. “Where is our humanity?” she asks about family separations. “They don’t need to be in jail,” he says about indefinite detention. June 30, 2018

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Protesters congregate before the Families Belong Together march against migrant family separations in Nogales, AZ. June 30, 2018

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Demonstrators start to gather for the nationwide Families Belong Together march in Nogales, a border town in Arizona.

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Rigo Gonzalez address protesters at a rally at the Arizona Capitol

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Demonstrators at the Phoenix Families Belong Together march in Arizona protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

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Caroline Laughlin-Graham 54, resident of Anthem, AZ holding a sign at the Phoenix Families Belong Together march. "I’ve been to other protest events, I’m here to give families a voice."

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Signs from the Families Belong Together marches in Arizona

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Signs from the Families Belong Together marches in Arizona

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“I am very upset,” Phoenix resident Zaria Baray Carter said at the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018. “I would never imagine being 5 years old and being separated from my parents and in cages. I’m here because leaders aren’t doing anything about it. Being out here, I’m using my voice.”

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Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

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Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

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Protesters are out in full force at a Families Belong Together march on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

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Rigo Gonzalez, one of the organizers of the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018: “They think we don’t belong here. It’s time we tell them yes, we do belong here."

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“Jesus wrapped in Mylar?” A protester’s sign questions at Phoenix Families Together march. Immigrants report sweaters are taken from them and they are given silver Mylar blankets at processing centers, June 30, 2018

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June 30, 2018- The Lynn Family came out together today, donning hand-made signs. 7-year-old Sophie drew a pregnant woman and her family separated on the sign. She told me “I really hate that. I would be really sad if I was separated from my mom. Kids should be free!"

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June 30, 2018- The Lynn Family came out together today, donning hand-made signs. 7-year-old Sophie drew a pregnant woman and her family separated on the sign. She told me “I really hate that. I would be really sad if I was separated from my mom. Kids should be free!

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Protesters for the Families Stand Together rally begin to gather at Armory Park in Tucson awaiting the protest that begins at 9 a.m. on June 30, 2018.

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Protesters for the Families Stand Together rally begin to gather at Armory Park in Tucson awaiting the protest that begins at 9 a.m. on June 30, 2018.

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A few protest signs held by demonstrators at the Families Belong Together rally on June 30, 2018, in Phoenix.

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A protest sign held by a demonstrator at the Families Belong Together March in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

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“We’re here for the children, for the immigrants. We’re here with love,” organizers say at 8:10 a.m., in English and Spanish. They plan to have DREAMers, congressman and citizens speaking at the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

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Hundreds gathered outside the Arizona Senate on June 30, 2018, to protest Donald Trump's immigration policies that have separated families at the border.

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Demonstrators gather at the Arizona state Capitol on June 30, 2018, to protest Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy.

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Democratic Socialists of America convene at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza adjacent the Families Belong Together rally in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

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Cat Castaneda holds a sign protesting Donald Trump's policy of family separations at a protest in Phoenix on June 30, 2018.

“I said to Amalia that I stopped crying that day,” Soch-tohom de Bulux said. “These people breathed life back in us.”

After being releasedon bond, Itzep-Lopez’s and Soch-tohom de Bulux’s car stopped on the side of road outside Eloy.

The two mothers stood on the street and video chatted with Gonzalez Garcia. The immigration detention facility, where they all met, where hundreds more mothers are still waiting, was in the background.

Saturday morning, the two women woke up and readied to leave Phoenix together. A volunteer would drive them to Albuquerque.

In an Albuquerque coffee shop parking lot, the women parted ways. Soch-tohom de Bulux would continue north through Colorado, Itzep-Lopez would join another volunteer driver headed to Texas.

“We now have legal representation on-the-ground,” Schwietert Collazo said. “In Miami and New York, each will have their own attorney."

Soch-tohom de Bulux knows that when she arrives to New York, she will be reunited with her daughter. Earlier this week her daughter was released to her father, who is already in New York, according to Orochena, her attorney in New York.

Shemay face a battle against bureaucracy before she gets to see her two children again.

But she's traveled more than 2,000 miles, and when all that mattered to her was taken, strangers stepped in.

Now Juan and Mario are waiting. She'll do whatever it takes to make sure they are safe.

Photos: Guatemalan mom separated from kids arrives in NYC

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago. At left is Janey Pearl Starks who traveled with Garcia.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.

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Yeni Maricela Gonzalez Garcia stops to meet with supporters in New York City July 2, 2018. She is here to see her three children for the first time since they were taken from an Arizona immigration facility six weeks ago.